He leaned in, a theatrical smirk playing on his lips. His kiss was brief, a performance for his audience, punctuated by a dramatic flourish as he pulled away to a renewed chorus of cheers and whistles. You felt a flush creep up your neck, a mix of embarrassment and something else you couldn't quite name. He was basking in the attention, completely oblivious to the sudden chill that had settled over you.

The walk home was tense, the earlier party chatter replaced by a thick silence. The cool night air did little to soothe the heat that simmered beneath your skin.

"Man," Lionel began, breaking the quiet with a triumphant chuckle. "Did you see those girls? They loved that! Almost more than I did, honestly. Guess they just eat that stuff up, huh? Thought it was a real show." He nudged you, a wide grin on his face.

The words "thought it was a real show" echoed in your head, suddenly clicking everything into place. It wasn't just a game to him; it was a performance. And you? You were just part of the act. The casualness with which he'd thrown you into the spotlight for their amusement, the way he'd soaked up their reactions, not yours, hit you with the force of a physical blow. The humiliation, the quiet, foolish hope you hadn't even realized you were harboring, evaporated in an instant.

"A real show, huh?" you repeated, your voice flat, almost dead. Lionel finally seemed to pick up on your tone, his grin faltering. He stopped walking, turning to face you.

"What's with you? Seriously, you're acting weird. It was just spin the bottle."

"Just spin the bottle?" you scoffed, crossing your arms. "You practically put on a whole Broadway production! Leaning in like that, all dramatic., sliding you tongue down my damn throat!”

He ran a hand through his hair, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. "So what if I was? It's a party! Everyone's having fun. The girls got a kick out of it. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal," you retorted, stepping closer, your voice rising slightly, "is that you made a joke out of it. Out of me. You didn't even care that I was standing right there, just focused on getting a laugh from them."

"Oh, come on, that's ridiculous," he scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "It's not like it meant anything. It was a game. A harmless bit of fun. You're seriously overreacting."

"Harmless fun for you, maybe!" You felt a sting behind your eyes. "You don't get it, do you? It's always about you, about what you want, about how you look to other people. And I'm just... I'm just the sidekick in your little show."

Lionel stared at you, his face a mixture of confusion and growing frustration. "That's not fair! You're my best friend! Why are you making such a big deal about this?"

"Because maybe," you said, your voice dropping, filled with a sudden, painful clarity, "maybe for once, I wanted it to mean something different."

The silence that followed was heavier than before, filled with the bitter taste of a friendship suddenly feeling very, very one-sided.